Volvo Construction Equipment and Jungheinrich have come away with coveted prizes from the design industry’s most prestigious awards ceremony.
The Zeux concept wheel loader that Volvo CE developed in conjunction with LEGO Technic took home gold in the IF Design Awards Professional Concept discipline, while Jungheinrich’s electric ETV 216i forklift truck – the world’s first with a permanently integrated battery – won in the Product category.
More compact than conventional forklifts, the ETV 216i offers improved agility and better visibility for the operator.
Michael Niebuhr, head of industrial design at Jungheinrich AG, said, “When developing the ETV 216i, engineers and designers worked together consistently from the outset. The result is a truck that combines design and performance like no other before it. The fact that it has now been honored with an IF Award confirms that we have taken the right path with this new concept in vehicle design.”
With a roaming camera boom and mapping drone, the autonomous electric Zeux from Volvo CE was developed following feedback from a focus-group of children and was designed to bring a more human aspect to driverless vehicles. Judged by a panel of 67 independent design experts, the Swedish construction firm joined the esteemed company of Ferrari, BMW, Apple and Samsung in receiving a gold IF design award.
In a statement, the panel said, “This is more than a toy construction playset with a drone for young talents who want to improve their technical skills. Volvo and LEGO teams have combined their professional experience to create a constructive concept for future engineers. What a great way to get the next generation interested in complex thinking while playing.”
Mats Bredborg, head of brand and market communication at Volvo CE, said, “This award is a crowning accomplishment on what has been a truly enjoyable partnership with LEGO Technic. We set out to test ideas for the construction machines of the future and now, not only do we have a blueprint for machine automation, but we are celebrating this innovation on a world stage.”
The iF Design Awards is now in its 66th year and holds the enviable position of being the oldest and most celebrated design competition in the world, welcoming more than 5,000 submissions each year from over 70 countries.
